On October 4, 1996, a record was made by one of our very own. Shahid Khan Afridi, who started his career in cricket 17 years ago, made the fastest century record in his second ODI against Sri Lanka. He scored 102 of 37 balls which was the fastest century in an ODI. Afridi has an aggressive batting style as he loves hitting his famous sixes on every ball and has smashed more than 400 sixes in all formats of the game. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x193kgf_corey-anderson-broke-the-record-of-shahid-afridi-fastest-100-in-odi_sport[/embed] Now, after 17 years, this record was recently broken by New Zealand’s all-rounder Corey Anderson against the West Indies in just 36 balls. I’m sure we were all shocked because the people of Pakistan love Afridi, regardless of when we curse him when he doesn’t bring his best foot forward; we are deeply proud of his record-breaking achievement. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Even though Afridi admitted the fact that his record was broken by Anderson and praised him, he expected his record to be broken by someone like Chris Gayle or David Warner; considering their reputation for smashing balls out of the park. He further added that even though he had never heard of the man who broke his record, he believes that someone from the Pakistan cricket team will bring the title back home. People from all over Pakistan tweeted and shared their love for Boom Boom and believe that Afridi will be the one to win back the title. Afridi never loses hope and fights till the end because he plays from his heart. I can proudly say that I am Afridi’s biggest fan, on and off the field. I refuse to watch a match in which Afridi isn’t on the field simply because he is a man with a champion’s heart and experience. Some might disagree but Afridi is a good bowler. His aggressive bowling technique picks wickets in early spells and has ended up saving our team many times. In school, we used to have essay writing competitions and when the topic I received was ‘My favourite personality’ I knew exactly who I was going to write about. Many of the other students wrote on great personalities like Jinnah, Allama Iqbal, Imran Khan, Benazir and the likes, I believed (and still do) that Shahid Afridi was no less a hero than those great legends, and so I wrote my piece on him. I’ve come across many people in my life who criticise Afridi on his playing style. I’ve heard statements like,

“Pathans don’t know how to think and strategise to win matches”, “He needs to understand that he can’t get a boundary on every ball”

“What a waste in bowling”

England, after ruling the Ashes series over the last few years, was outclassed by Australia by a huge margin of 5-0 and lost its beloved trophy to the victors. After a very long time, the English team had finally reached perfection and it was claimed that they could beat any team at any venue – which they actually did for a couple of years – before all hell broke loose in the form of the Ashes (pun intended).  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The Australian cricket team celebrate their victory in the Ashes series 2014. Photo: AFP[/caption] England proudly stood at its pinnacle where the team had at least three to four substitute players for every position – be it bowling, batting or even wicket-keeping. However, the question is, did this copious amount of talent actually belong to the English soil? The answer is a big ‘No’. England has become a sight similar to the World XI team, where the players belong to all parts of the world. One such player, who has served England immensely and given his 100% to the team, is Eoin Morgan – Irish by origin. He made his debut from Ireland but after seeing the player’s impressive performance, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided to bring him under the English flag. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Eoin Morgan. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Morgan acts as the captain of the English T20 squad in the absence of Stuart Broad and there are fair chances of him being the next skipper of both the limited-overs games. So it is safe to assume that the Irish player is benefitting England’s cricket tremendously. They also picked up the Irish pacer Boyd Rankin, who played with Morgan. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Boyd Rankin. Photo: Reuters[/caption] In addition, the star batsman from the English side – Kevin Pieterson – is not originally from England either. Peterson is actually a South African by birth but he never played cricket for the Proteas. However, he has represented his native district of Natal, where he was born. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Kevin Pietersen. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Another South African who anchors the English batting line-up is Jonathan Trott. He has been a key player in the English batting line-up for about three to four years now and has risen to the occasion whenever his team needs him. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Jonathan Trott. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Matt Prior is also from the same league. He is responsible for a number of wins for England – especially in the Ashes – but he hails from Johannesburg. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Matt Prior. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Although the urn returned to Australia in the current Ashes series and the English side performed miserably, I do not mean to claim that players with different nationalities do not give their best for the team that they play for. In fact, as far as I am concerned, the only positive point that England had in the series was Ben Stokes – who is also not English by birth and belongs to another Aussie rival country – New Zealand. Like Morgan, Ben also seems to be a key candidate for the future of the English team. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Ben Stokes. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Indeed, there are many cricketers currently playing for England who do not have an English background – Monty Panesar, Sajid Mahmood and others. It seems like England is actually facing a dearth of native players. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Monty Panesar. Photo: Reuters[/caption]   [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Sajid Mahmood. Photo: Reuters[/caption] These are only a few non-English players who have brought glory to England’s cricket team in recent years. Hence, although England’s team is full of extraordinary talent, very little of it hails from the English soil itself. If you take away players like Eion Morgan, Kevin Peterson or Jonathan Trott, the English people will definitely lose the flair that they currently have. For a nation that is the pioneer of this wonderful sport, this situation can become alarming. Is the England soil not fertile enough anymore to produce quality cricketers?

On January 14, 2013, I wrote a piece stressing the fact that Misbah is very much a necessity for Pakistan’s One Day International (ODI) cricket. I argued that Misbah has been far better than his colleagues and should not be dropped, predicting that he will fine tune his game-plan and will improve as a batsman. Well, as it turns out, Misbah has indeed stepped up his game since then. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Misbahul Haq of Pakistan bats during the ODI match between South Africa and Pakistan at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on March 21, 2013 in Durban, South Africa. Photo: AFP[/caption] Almost a year and 32 ODI matches later, we see him still at the helm and still going strong. Since that series in January 2013, Misbah has scored 1332 runs in 32 matches (30 innings) with as many as 15 fifties at a strike rate of 75 and at an astonishing average of 58 runs per innings. His outstanding run as a batsman earned him the top spot in the list of leading ODI run scorers in 2013 and helped him to enter the top 10 rankings of ICC ODI batsmen. He is currently ranked at number nine in that list, the only Pakistani in the list. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Misbahul Haq raises his bat for 50 runs during the ODI match between South Africa and Pakistan at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on March 21, 2013 in Durban, South Africa Photo: AFP[/caption] Under his leadership last year, we have won ODI series against India, West Indies, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland and Scotland – the highlight being a spectacular come-back after taking a pounding from South Africa in UAE. Misbah, as a leader, remained firm despite stern criticism, led his troops admirably in South Africa and won the three match ODI series against all odds and in alien conditions, a series win which can be labelled as one of the finest achievements of Pakistan cricket as far as bilateral ODI series are concerned. This should lay to rest any doubts about his utility as an ODI batsman as well as the leader of our ODI team. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Misbahul Haq. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Now let us have a look at Test matches, especially his era as the captain of our Test team since that spot fixing saga (a period of three years and two months). People often criticise him for being a negative captain and question his tactics, but again, most of the criticism is completely unjust and the statistics reveal a very interesting story. Pakistan has been a very dismal team over the past few years, especially when it comes to Test cricket. To put things in perspective, let’s have a look at the ‘Pre-Misbah’ era in Test cricket. Let’s take into account three years and two months before Misbah took the reins of the Pakistani Test team. I have chosen to look at the three years and two months particularly because Misbah has been captain of the Test side for three years and two months, so it is only fair to compare two identical time spans. Misbah took over in November 2010 as Test captain. So the period under consideration is the time-span from September 2007 to November 2010. From September 2007 to November 2010, Pakistan played 22 test matches, won only 3, lost 12 and drew 7.  Even if we expand the duration to six years and look at time span from September 2004 to November 2010, we find that Pakistan played 50 tests, won 13, lost 23 and drew 14. No matter how you look at it, it is a pathetic record. Remember this was a time when we had the luxury of playing at home with pitches tailor made for our batting and bowling, we had batting maestros like Inzamamul Haq, Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan in full swing, and superb fast bowlers like Mohammad Asif, Shoaib Akhtar, Umer Gul and the likes, at our disposal. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Pakistan's captain Misbah-ul-Haq plays a shot during their One day international cricket match against South Africa in Bloemfontein, March 10, 2013. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Now, if we compare these two time spans with the post-Misbah era, things look bright. Since November 2010, Pakistan has played 27 matches under Misbah, won 12, lost seven and drawn eight. A remarkable feat isn’t it? Given the fact that none of these matches have been played on Pakistani soil. Under the leadership of Misbah, Pakistan has eked out 12 Test wins out of 27 matches, while we could only manage 13 wins out of 50 Test matches in six years of pre-Misbah era. This should be an eye-opener for those who label his captaincy defensive, dull and negative. Seeing this impressive run, it is only fair to say that he has totally transformed the way we play Test cricket, with concrete results for all to see. What is most impressive about this era is that Misbah himself has been in terrific form, scoring 2210 runs at an average of 61.38, which is the highest by any Pakistani Test captain. Bolstered by his own performance, Misbah has quietly stitched together a unit which is resilient and promising. The new players which he has at his disposal may not be as spectacularly talented as their predecessors, but they are efficient, and are being used well. By virtue of this remarkable run, Misbah now ranks as the second most successful Pakistani Test captain only behind Imran Khan/Javed Miandad (14 Test wins each), but it is notable that Imran captained in 48 Tests and Javed in 34 Tests, while Misbah has achieved this in only 27 Tests – and none of those were played in Pakistan. When you see people like Marcus Trescothick, Steve Harmison, Jonathan Trott and the likes, revealing mental illnesses due to excessive tours, it only increases respect in your eyes for Misbah and the team, and makes those wins look even more valuable. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Pakistan's Misbah Ul Haq plays a shot during their first cricket test match against England at Dubai International cricket stadium January 18, 2012. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Of course, our team still has some weaknesses and areas of concerns. Our fielding, especially catching, needs to improve. There have been numerous costly misses in recent matches, for example dropping AB De Villiers in the second match in Dubai was crucial, and so was that drop by Younis Khan in the fifth ODI against South Africa, in South Africa. Opening, lower middle order and wicket keeping departments need improvement as well. Asad Shafiq does not click as much as desired. Fast bowlers need to be managed better. People like Aizaz Cheema, Tavir Ahmed, Rahat Ali, Asad Ali, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz and others have been given chances and have been in and out of the team. Despite all these limitations, to pick up a team that was in tatters after the spot fixing issue and to instil solidarity in the team, to perform despite limitations and to completely change the complexion of Test cricket for us is indeed commendable, for which Misbah deserves credit. The only thing that Misbah now needs to work on, as a captain, is to gamble on the correct players. Great captains are usually good at spotting talent and backing the right players. For example, Misbah tried Umar Amin, Nasir Jamshed, Sohail Tanvir and Wahab Riaz against South Africa in the ODI series in the UAE, but they did not perform as he had expected, and so he had to bring in Sohaib Maqsood – but it was too late by then. This is where Misbah has to develop an eye for spotting the right youngsters at the right time. As an ardent Pakistani cricket fan, I hope and pray that Misbah continues the good work and leaves behind a well-knit unit which can bring greater glory to Pakistan cricket in coming years. For now, I can safely say that, yes, we need Misbah – for at least another year. [poll id="322"]

It is always saddening when a person is highly talented but unable to deliver. There are always expectations and predictions when a new player appears on the stage of international cricket. International cricket has seen a number of cricketers with some extraordinary capabilities but they never performed as well as they were expected to do. In the current era of cricket, I personally feel that when you talk about a player with immense talent that has not done justice to their potential is Umar Akmal. Sarah Taylor is another player who has some immeasurable potential of the gentlemen’s game but could not achieve her full potential. Umar Akmal [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="326"] Source: ESPN cricinfo[/caption] Akmal made his debut on August 1, 2009 against Sri Lanka at Dambulla. In his debut innings, he wasn’t able to achieve much and just managed to score 18 runs off 28 deliveries. He displayed his potential flair in his second ODI by scoring almost 66 runs and proved his talent by scoring a blistering century in his third appearance of international cricket. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x18w0zg_umar-akmal-102-off-72-first-odi-century-vs-sri-lanka_sport[/embed] The disappointing part is that it is the only century that he has scored till date. Akmal and Virat Kohli entered the cricket field at the same time and therefore have always been compared to each other. Almost all of the cricket fanatics and critics believe that Akmal is almost as talented as Kohli but the only difference being that Kohli has shown his full potential on the field and has made his country proud whereas Akmal has done the complete opposite. Kohli has scored 18 centuries in 121 matches with an average of above 50. Whenever Akmal comes to bat, commentators cannot stop praising his talent but at the same time, they criticise his temperament and consistency. In the recent tour of South Africa held at Pakistan’s second home, UAE, the chokers overcame Pakistan and snatched a victory from their jaws after taking the last six wickets on just 16 runs. During the post-match press conference, African skipper De Villiers said, “Pakistan tail starts from Umar Akmal and we knew that Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi will give us a chance to come back.” These words were really embarrassing for Akmal fans as they must’ve been quite humiliating for Akmal as well. Sarah Taylor [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="344"] Source: ESPN cricinfo[/caption] Now, let’s get to the talented lady Sarah Taylor. She is England’s wicket keeper and batsman, and is probably the most talented woman cricketer at the moment. If you have seen her play, you might have gotten an impression of a female Kevin Pietersen. Not all female cricketers possess such strong wrists and have followed through as Taylor has. She is averaging above 39, which is better than Akmal, who has an average of 36.46, and is hands down amazing for a female cricketer. But she too has the same problem as Akmal as they both lack consistency. Similarly, she doesn’t perform for ages but when she does, it is usually a match winning innings. Taylor made her debut in 2006 against India when she was about 17-years-old. In the fifth match of her career, she managed to hit a beautiful century. In her career of 88 matches till date, she has scored five centuries which is far better than the gentleman Umar Akmal. I personally think that she is the player who is going to break the highest run world record of her skipper Charlotte Edwards in the coming years. But considering her inconsistent run in the international arena, I doubt she can do it. She is still considered as the best female cricketer at the moment but Meg Lanning of Australia is making her way to the top rapidly. As Kohli has left Akmal far behind, it is safe to assume that Lanning will soon be competing with Taylor’s reputation of being the best. Lanning has already got four centuries in her 27 innings. There is no doubt that Akmal is far more talented than his records suggest. He just needs to work on his temperament and will undoubtedly be one of the best in the world. I see great similarity between Taylor and Akmal as she also has the potential to become one of the ‘greats’ of the cricketing world. I hope both the talented cricketers mentioned above will do justice to their talent and achieve the greatness that is bestowed within them. Good luck!

According to a sports analyst, whatever happens in Pakistani cricket does not happen anywhere else. The recent team selection for the upcoming Asia Cup and T20 World Cup is an appropriate example of this statement. Looking at the selected players, it is not clear whether the selectors want to go forward or backward. Perhaps, they do not have any direction at all. In the coming days, Pakistan’s cricket team is set to play two international tournaments – the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup – both to be held in Bangladesh. The team selected for both tournaments has been announced and as expected, the selectors have surprised the fans with their baffling selection yet again! Considering the way our team is selected, I sometimes feel that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) uses a magic hat to randomly pull out names of players to represent Pakistan in the tournament or series, without any deliberation or tactical decision-making. The first surprise was the selection of Fawad Alam in the Asia Cup squad. Alam played in a One Day International (ODI) for Pakistan more than three years ago. His strike rate of 73.8 did not make him an ideal player for the lower-middle order. He is a player who can be more useful in Test matches than in shorter versions of the game. Another surprising element was the selection of five fast bowlers for the Asia Cup. In Bangladesh, where the pitches are more suitable for spinners, I think Pakistan will be better off with an additional spinner or a batsman in their squad, instead of a pace bowler. Pakistan has some aged players in the squad and it will be better if a few youngsters are included in the team to beef up the fielding in case the need arises. Our team needs young blood and it is always better to be safe than sorry. Moving along, the team selected for the T20 World Cup doesn’t paint a positive picture either. The selection of Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik is a regressive step since both Akmal and Malik have not given any eye-catching performances in the recently concluded Faysal Bank T20 tournament. In fact, Malik’s performance in Australia’s Big Bash was utterly unsatisfactory. Similarly, Akmal’s selection shows confusion and indecisiveness on the part of our selectors. It seems that Pakistan’s selectors are obsessed with having Akmal in the squad for any ICC tournament. Akmal’s younger brother, Umar Akmal, has been Pakistan’s wicketkeeper for many ODI series. Umar will be playing in both tournaments but I fail to understand why they would want two wicketkeepers on the team. After all, Bangladesh is located close to Pakistan and in case of any emergency, a replacement can travel quickly and conveniently. Still, if selectors want two wicketkeepers on the squad for some reason, then why don’t they include Sarfaraz Ahmed, who is a much better choice. Ahmed, after playing a winning match against Sri Lanka, should be given the boost and confidence to be an even better player. But, it seems the selectors are adamant on shaking his confidence by not selecting him. The selection of Abdur Rehman for the Asia Cup and that of Zulfiqar Babar for the T20 World Cup is also a questionable decision. It would be better if only one of them is selected for both tournaments. Fielding in T20 tournaments is very crucial and has always been our team’s weakest area. To bring agility in fielding, young legs are required. Unfortunately, Pakistan’s team only has four to five young players in the upcoming tournaments while the rest are all in their early to mid-30s. This will adversely affect our fielding in both tournaments. Pakistan was once famous for throwing its youngsters in the deep end but now it seems that our selectors have abandoned this practice due to a fear of defeat. I wish the selection committee would revive this practice since many promising players lose confidence when they are not selected during their peak years; eventually they vanish from our country’s cricketing platform. I hope that our selectors choose players with a clear mind set and direction. They need to have valid reasons for selecting or dropping a player from the national team. They need to take into consideration their strengths and weaknesses and the reasons should be made public. It is our national team and as a Pakistani I demand to know why certain players were selected, whilst some very good ones were dropped. Only if we select a winning team can we hope to win.

On February 23, 2014 the Indian cricket team had come to Pakistan despite prevailing security problems in the country. That seemed like it would be enough for the match to make headlines and draw crowds of spectators to the venue – the National Cricket Stadium in Karachi – but the crowd was thin and the media presence was non-existent. In the third and final match of the three-day One Day International (ODI) series, Pakistan came up to bat after India had put up a target of 365 runs in 40 overs with nine batsmen out. Pakistan’s score picked up quickly and they were soon at 362 runs with only six out and three overs to go. The ball rolled towards the batsman and he swept the bat across the ground scoring a four and winning Pakistan the series (two-one). 40 overs, you wonder? Ball ‘rolled’ towards the batsman? Was this cricket? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Raheel Essa[/caption] This was a blind cricket match. Yes, I said blind cricket. Players on both teams are vision-impaired and yet they bat, they bowl and they even field. They run across the ground with such confidence that people are left guessing whether or not they are truly blind. In fact, they even managed to fool one of the spectators. My driver had attended the last hour of the match and when I asked him what he thought of the players, he said that they played well but he found it unusual that they were sweeping the bat and rolling the ball. He made no mention of them being blind and it occurred to me then that he had no idea that they couldn’t see. As we had rushed to the match earlier that day, I had just handed him the ticket, forgetting to mention that this was a blind cricket match. In retrospect, that’s something I probably should have mentioned but his reaction when I told him was worth the initial confusion. It seemed to bother him even a day after the match when he randomly stated,

“No, I think you are wrong. There is no way they couldn’t see.”

We have all seen, admired and enjoyed the likes of Gilchrist, Jayasuriya, Gayle and Sehwag destroying bowlers with their powerful shots which could ruin the careers of bowlers and change the scenario of any match. And we all revere the player who literally makes our hearts skip a beat, for whom any ground in the world is not big enough, who still has the maximum fan following even among fans of rival teams and for whom the stadium erupts with chants of ‘Boom Boom’ when he comes to bat. A few years ago former England cricketer, Geoffery Boycott, said,

“Shahid Afridi is fantastic, I love watching him play the game of cricket and undoubtedly he is the best entertainer in world cricket.”

“Undoubtedly he is the best entertainer in world cricket.”

It was very awkward for me when I saw a picture of Ravindra Jadeja on a magazine cover with ‘The next Wasim Akram?’ written on top of it. Indian Bowling coach, Joe Dawes gave a statement after losing the second Test match against South Africa that he may try to make Jadeja the new Wasim Akram. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x18ww01_jadeja-to-be-next-wasim-akram-says-indian-coach_sport[/embed] His statement implicated that Jadeja should practice some seam bowling as previously done by Sourav Ganguly or Sachin Tendulkar. The first thing that disturbed me was how a spinner can be compared to one of the greatest pace bowlers the international cricket has ever seen. If anything, I personally think Sanath Jayasuria would have been a better choice as he was a left arm slow bowler and a master blaster. However, Jaya’s class is unmatchable when it comes to his batting talent. The second thing that popped up in my mind was the numerous times Indians have choked their talented cricketers by comparing them with Pakistani greats. Irfan Pathan is a prime example who had some real pace bowling talent, but he was forced by his coaches to make his action identical to Akram, which ended up neutralising his natural talent. To add to the cause, the Indian team insists on putting all 11 of their players behind the bat and force Pathan to be an all-rounder, which is a big loss on their behalf. Coming back to Jadeja and his coach’s statement, even if we ignore the fact that a spinner is being compared to a pacer and only focus on their performance, he is being compared to the legend on the basis of his wicket taking ability in the away matches. Jadeja has only played one Test match against the Proteas in their backyard and got six wickets for 154 runs. As Jadeja has not played much of the long format cricket outside India, his record cannot be compared to Akram’s record of 255 wickets in 62 matches with an average of 24.61. Let’s take a look at the performances of the most played format in international cricket; One Day Internationals (ODIs). Jadeja has played 36 away matches and has hunt down 28 batsmen at an average of 48.53. Whereas, the Sultan of Swing has taken part in 121 away matches and has taken 168 wickets at an average of 23.89. Akram has never bowled in a T20 format, so it is irrelevant to compare the records. However, if he had played, he must have better figures than Jadeja for sure. The only way Akram and Jadeja can stand side by side is if you highly overrate Jadeja as the greatest slow left arm bowler of all time. I have no doubt that many Jadeja fans might believe that he is the best left arm orthodox spinner of this era or probably in history, but I rate Abdul Razzak of Bangladesh higher than him and even young Raza Hasan of Pakistan even though he hasn’t played much international cricket. Hasan is immensely talented and soon he will prove it to the world. On the other hand, there is absolutely no doubt that Akram is the best left arm pacer or left bowler that has ever appeared on the field. Seeing the comparison above, I reckon Jadeja has a long way to go to even have his name mentioned alongside the Sultan of Swing. Dawes’s statement is probably one of the most overrated and perhaps one of the most absurd statements that the cricketing world has ever heard. There is indeed no comparison between the two. Such statements usually end up destroying players and their talent rather than building it.

Imran finished off the last bite of his dinner, washed it down with a cola and looked around the living room. It had been a long and tiring day for him, his wife and their house-maid.  Their friends had come over with their children for the day and the effects could be seen all over the house. He got up to switch off the TV when the familiar sound of an incoming Skype call diverted him to his iPad. He looked at the screen and grinned. As promised, it was Rajesh calling. Imran received the call and said immediately in a fake Bengali accent,

“Hello, sahib ghar par nahi hain… mein un ka naukar Sharfu bol raha hoon.” (Hello, Sir isn’t at home. I am his servant, Sharfu speaking.)

“Well, Mr Imran… sorry… Sharfu, tell your Sir to come out from wherever he is hiding. We won’t say anything to hurt his feelings even more.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. As Baba Shahrukh Khan said in one of your movies, “Baray baray shehron mein, aisi choti choti baatein hoti rehti hain.”” (Small, irrelevant things such as these happen in big cities.)

“Really? What happened? I was just calling to find out the score. I couldn’t see the match… well, at least not the one that Pakistan was supposed to win as you said yesterday haha… on my TV, they showed a version where India beat Pakistan and beat Pakistan very badly! By seven wickets and more than an over left... so I got confused…”

“That’s why we always tell you, buy imported and original things. Don’t tell me you still buy Indian brands of TVs! I’m sure your TV shows the Statue of Liberty wrapped in a sari and wearing a bindi. On our TV, they showed the version where one very good team just had a very bad day and lost out to a team that played very ordinary cricket.”

“Wake up, wake up my friend. You Pakistanis are in the ‘United State of Denial’. Let’s face it, there’s just no way you could win against India in any World Cup, be it One Day International (ODI) or T20.”

“Well, if you guys promise that you won’t suspend the entire Kashmiri student population from each one of your universities when we beat you in the World Cup, then we will definitely win. It’s just that this time we had to be selfless and think about the welfare of our Kashmiri brothers so we decided to give up the match for a ‘greater cause’.”

“Wah wah… sacrifice is your middle name… But on a serious note, you know that I hated what happened with those poor Kashmiri students after the last India-Pakistan match in the Asia Cup. That was unacceptable, not to mention, embarrassing for me as an Indian.”

“Nahi yaar, you don’t need to tell me that. I know that you would never approve of such things. I was just teasing you.”

“I know. Not just me but scores of enlightened, educated and broad-minded Indians never appreciate such things in the name of ‘patriotism’. They know too well that politicians have always misused people’s emotions and passions. There are a few people on both sides of the border who just don’t want peace for their own selfish reasons.”

“That’s true. And anyone who spreads the message of hatred just to show ‘love’ for his own land is nothing but a charlatan, trying to trick people into a false sense of ‘patriotism’. And unfortunately, our countries have an endless supply of these scum-bags.”

“Yes, and your words ‘endless supply’ reminded me of bhabi’s endless supply of shami kebabs and Lahori samosas during every match. I would even be willing to let India lose one match against Pakistan if only you promise that bhabi will treat us to her amazing culinary skills throughout the match.”

“Deal! Then, you should hurry up and book your flight soon. When is the T20 final? This offer is valid only for the final now in which we can sit together to watch the match inshallah, on my TV mind you, and this record of never beating India in the World Cup will also be changed forever!”

“Ok, you guys should definitely get brownie points for your optimism and ‘never-say-die’ attitude.”

“God knows if it’s that or simply stubbornness.”

“It’s the ‘attitude’ with a capital ‘A’, my friend. As Iqbal said, “Sitaron sey aagay jahan aur bhi hain, Abhi ishq ke imtihaan aur bhi hain…” (Beyond the stars there are more worlds, This quest of love has more tests to pass.)”

“Deal, Sir, deal! So I’m going to be there with you if both the teams end up in the final. And no matter who wins or loses, you and I my friend, will still win! Goodbye and good luck!”

On April 1, 2014, Pakistan produced one of the most embarrassing performances in recent memory, breaking like glass under pressure. At the beginning of the 17^th over, the West Indies seemed like they were out of the game, having scored only 107 runs. Then, courtesy of Sammy and Bravo, came an assault which made the Red Wedding in R R Martin’s A Storm of Shadows seem like a friendly tea party. 45 runs came off the last three overs in this knockout game. It was an assault which reminded me of Ajay Jadeja’s battering of Waqar Younis in the 1996 World Cup quarterfinal, where the Pakistani fast bowler, who although was at the top of his game, was mercilessly gutted without warning by the Indian batsman, eventually allowing India to set a huge target. Sadly, this was far worse. In that particular game, when Saeed Anwar and Amir Sohail came out to bat, they smashed the Indian bowlers for 10 overs, and it seemed for a moment that Pakistan would win comfortably. But here, we were never in the game after the Sammy and Bravo show. It was as if the Pakistani batsmen were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Of course, the West Indies were brilliant, and thoroughly deserved the game, but the defeat was made worse because Pakistan batted like a team of patients. Not a few days earlier, Pakistan had scored significantly more against Australia, but that was when the boys in green had been batting first without the pressure of a tense chase. As followers of team green will know, this isn’t a new story in the Pakistani cricket soap opera. The episode we saw on April 1^st was plagiarised by the scriptwriters from countless tragic comedies that have been airing since Pakistan started playing cricket. Clearly, our team has the skill to beat anyone, but needs long-term and short-term fixes. Here are five changes that I think need to be made, or history will continue repeating itself. 1) The domestic league needs improvement In the above mentioned quarterfinal from 1996, after Saeed Anwar and Amir Sohail gave Pakistan a fantastic start, Ijaz Ahmed and Inzamamul Haq gave it away with terrible shots under pressure. 20 years later, we continue to produce batsmen who can’t score when it matters. Meanwhile, the person who can, Misbahul Haq, is treated like a man who carries a highly contagious version of the Ebola virus by the public, because he dares to value his wicket when there is chaos around him. There are many reasons our players are even less mentally sound than before, and some of these factors are out of our control. Because of the political situation in Pakistan, our cricketers have less exposure to international cricket. What’s more, while other players are honing their T20 skills in the Indian Premier League (IPL), our cricketer’s are not. I am not blaming anyone here, it is how it is. At one point in history, most of our cricketers were sharpening their swords in county cricket; Majid Khan, Zaheer Abass, Javed Miandad, Imran Khan, Asif Iqbal, Mushtaq Mohammad, to name a few of the greats, cut their teeth in the intensity of domestic cricket overseas. When the great Imran Khan defeated the best test match sides in the world, he did so through the services of players who had been battle hardened in heated Sheffield Shield matches in Australia and first class competitions in England. In Imran Khan’s autobiography, he mentioned that he persevered with wicketkeeper Salim Yousuf not because he was a fine athlete, but because he was a street fighter who could handle the demands of tense matches. Similarly, Sohail made it into Khan’s World Cup 92 squad because he recognised the Lahore batsmen’s mental toughness. Currently, our players are underexposed, and by all accounts, our domestic cricket standards are poor. While we can’t attract top international players to our local matches, surely we can improve standards so that these matches simulate the pressure of real knockout matches. Right now, it is like we are sending our boys straight into real battle after training them on the Xbox. Another way to enhance mental toughness is to hire a sports psychologist, who can certainly help these men conquer their demons. 2) Selectors must be held accountable Why are Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal continuously brought back into the team after repeated failings? It seems that there is a cycle where the two are dropped only to make a comeback in the next big ICC tournament, where they fail again. Why are the selectors not explaining this? What’s more perplexing about Kamran’s latest comeback is that in the longer 50 over version of the game, his brother Umar Akmal, a part time keeper, is donning the gloves. If anything, since Umar isn’t a specialist wicketkeeper, isn’t it more logical that he would find it easier to keep wicket in the shorter format? Yet, Umar is asked to keep wicket in 50 overs, but a specialist keeper is brought in for 20 overs cricket. This makes the same amount of sense as hiring someone to carry your bags to the next room, but insisting on carrying them yourself up the mountain. Kamran seems to have made a comeback against the odds so often that I have no doubt that his cricket is just a cover, and that he is some sort of a superspy who blackmails influential people. Let’s look at the facts. During the dodgy Sydney test, Kamran, who after having ruined Danish Kaneria’s career for many years, dropped and missed so many easy chances off of Kaneria that we wondered if Kamran thought his objective was to not catch the ball. Yet later, it was Kaneria who was dropped from the team, and not Kamran! During the World Cup in 2011, Shoaib Akhtar was so frustrated with Kamran dropping his catches that he reportedly had a heated encounter with the nam ka keeper after the match against New Zealand. But even though Akhtar was bowling well, and it was Kamran at fault, it was the Rawalpindi Express who was discarded! In fact, Akhtar never played international cricket again, while Kamran continued to make comebacks! What is going on here? Is Kamran some sort of a bad luck wizard? Is he Mr Bean with gloves? Why are the victims of Kamran’s mediocrity suffering, and not him? How can we convince the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that Kamran is bad news? DNA evidence? Four witnesses? 3) Talent needs to be recognised and respected Hugely talented players such as Mohammad Irfan and Akhtar have spoken about not getting financial support in their early cricketing years. Cricketers have said that they were sleeping outside the stadium because they didn’t have accommodation. Meanwhile, the PCB is said to have housing resources. Why isn’t it offering these resources to such individuals? In Akhtar’s autobiography, he spoke about senior cricketers sabotaging his prime cricketing years because of jealousy. He also revealed that the cricket dressing room’s atmosphere was ugly, full of envious players who resorted to Xanax in order to deal with pressure. Let’s also look at Saeed Ajmal, who is our best bowler and the best Pakistani spinner since Abdul Qadir. Ajmal debuted for Pakistan close to his mid-30s, which for many sportsmen is the retirement age. Why was a talented cricketer like Ajmal not serving Pakistan since his 20s? Zulfiqar Babar, at 35, is another excellent bowler who has come on to the scene at least 10 years later than he should have. Of course, Fawad Alam, who had an excellent international record, was dropped because of a well-documented bias from a Pakistani selector. When he finally returned, he played two excellent knocks.  Alam was fortunate that public pressure and countless top domestic performances eventually returned him to the team, but how many other cricketers like Ajmal and Babar will be forced to make their debuts when they are near retirement age, while individuals such as Kamran and Shoaib Malik make regular comebacks? We also need to be patient with younger talent. Players like Bilawal Bhatti and Anwar Ali have the potential to be fine cricketers and should stay with the team in order to develop. One of our greatest all-rounders, Abdul Razzak, did not start off as a flashy batsman, and took years to develop into the dangerous hitter. 4) We need a fresh captain Pakistani cricket fans have a problem; when Afridi performs poorly, they demand he be tied around a stick and barbequed over an open fire, but when he performs well, they worship him like a gift from the heavens. Afridi is my favourite cricketer in the team even when he is inconsistent, and I believe he should always be in the squad because of his strong positive energy. That being said, his limitations must be accepted. Currently, after hot performances against Bangladesh and India, Pakistanis have been struck by Lala fever, and believe that he should be the next T20 captain. This would be a terrible mistake. First of all, as captain, Afridi has proven himself to be a poor tactician on numerous occasions. And in sharp contrast with his aggressive cricketing nature, Afridi is a dangerously defensive leader. What’s more, it is an open secret that Afridi is about as sharp as a butter knife. Who can forget his brainless behaviour when he was caught dancing on a pitch in order to rough it up for the bowlers in a match we were winning? Not that I condone cheating, but how smart is it to cheat in a match where you are close to victory? This is not WWE wrestling! Then, there was the humiliating ball chewing incident. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a captain who likes biting balls in public. Some fetishes should be kept private. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xc2bm7_shahid-afridi-biting-the-ball-think_sport[/embed] Also, keep in mind that Afridi is officially 34 (though he is said to be much older), and is hence only a short term option. With the next World T20 two years away, we don’t need a stopgap solution since T20 cricket doesn’t feature major ICC tournaments in the short term. A younger cricketer should be groomed as the next T20 captain, and should be identified and stuck with through thick and thin. Eventually, the next Pakistani T20 captain can take over the Test match and ODI captaincy from Misbahul Haq when he retires. Umar could be the man for the job, although he will certainly need to stop acting like Kamran’s conjoined twin. Perhaps as skipper, Umar will also bat more responsibly. Another alternative is Alam, who is not only a dependable batsman, but from his interviews, seems like a smart thinker. 5) Our batting line-up needs serious adjustment Teams like India boast a line-up of specialist batsmen, whereas Pakistan is expected to score through makeshift batsmen and all-rounders. Actual batsmen such as Sohaib Maqsood and Umar are sent after the team is in dire straits, while part-time batsmen such as Hafeez, Kamran and Sohaib are sent up the order. If these three individuals boast the batting averages of lower order batsmen, then how is the team expected to score well? We should emulate India by using specialist batsmen at the top of the order as we did in the 90s. Maqsood began his career well against South Africa at number three, but then was infuriatingly forced down the order after a few failures. Pakistan should learn from South Africa in this regard. Jacques Kallis was quite subpar at the top of the order, yet South Africa persisted, and eventually Kallis turned into a legend. Similarly, Hashim Amla also struggled at number three but the selectors kept faith in him and today he is one of the best batsmen in the world. Maqsood has shown potential as an excellent number three player against the best fast bowlers in the world. He should be sent at one down with full support from the coach and management for at least two dozen matches. As wicketkeeper batsmen, Umar should be kept at number four followed by Alam and Misbah. Our dependable captain doesn’t have the stamina to score more than 50 in ODIs, and should be fine at number six. Hafeez is our best all-rounder, but shouldn’t come before number seven. The World Cup in Australia is around the corner, where the higher bounce will test our cricketers’ technique. It is no place for part-timers. Here is my line-up for Australia, which I bet would do well. 1) Ahmed Shehzad 2) Big Nas/Khurram Manzoor/Sharjeel Khan 3) Sohaib Maqsood 4) Umar Akmal (wicketkeeper) 5) Fawad Alam (vice-captain) 6) Misbahul Haq (captain) 7) Hafeez/Shahid Afridi 8) Bilawal Bhatti/Anwar Ali 9) Saeed Ajmal 10) Mohammad Irfan 11) Junaid Khan

Another Test match, another humiliating batting performance and another defeat. Forgive me if I am not surprised. It would be a lie if I said that I am at a loss of words when in reality I sort of saw it coming. The only benefit I’ve gained from such disappointing batting is that my vocabulary has improved significantly because now I have to explain just how bad their performance was. This embarrassing show of batting from the Pakistani team is nothing new but, unfortunately, just like our beloved Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), our cricket team has not shown any inclination in identifying the issues and trying to overcome them either. Playing the blame game does not, in anyway, constitute as identifying an issue; regrettably, this is something our ‘team’ fails to understand. I remember the time when our team’s aggressive intent and confidence used to be the key to our victories. Sadly, gone are the days when we saw our bowlers taking the game to the batsmen and intimidating them or when Shoaib Akhtar’s glare would throw off the batsman from his game. Now, our players lack the confidence and the belief in their abilities. Now they’ve become timid when it comes to expressing their skills on the pitch. Maybe it’s because back then we had a different generation, a different breed of players, or maybe because now our team just doesn’t believe in themselves anymore. And this lack of confidence has started to show in their performance. Many might lambast me for my absurd observation and argue that a team’s performance cannot depend on a mere glare. Well, I agree, but at the same time, you can’t always get a batsman out with stereotypical tactics. When things are not going as expected, and who would know better about expectations than us, then one has to use different tactics and has to be confident about his playing abilities and place in the team. After all, the belief that ‘I can do it’ is what makes the difference and takes one a long way. Even a talented player like Ravindra Jadeja achieved success in the gentleman’s game because of his confidence and playing ability. When I see Indian openers chase 350 in an ODI, I see the reason being their self-belief and confidence. But when our team chases a score of a mere 200 runs, our openers enter the arena like convicted murderers with nervousness and anxiety radiating from their faces. I remember the time when Shahid Afridi wasn’t known as ‘boom boom Afridi’ and every time he would get on the pitch, I would feel a chilling wave creep down my spine, fearing for worst. But that wave has been missing for years now, maybe because I have become used to it since every batsman in our team now is as precarious as Afridi used to be. For example, I certainly did not expect this kind of attitude from the likes of Aizaz Cheema or Junaid Khan, both of whom were evolving as deadly bowlers but have lost their ability to stand out. There is a cricket myth which says that sub-continental batsmen play spinners better than others. If this is true, then Pakistan is clearly not a part of the subcontinent because ever since I have been following cricket, except for the likes of Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamamul Haq and Younus Khan, all Pakistani batsmen have been vulnerable even against mediocre spinners. During the Test series in against Sri Lanka, we were bamboozled by Rangana Herath and lost the match by 50 runs. And who can forget our famous Sydney Test defeat of 2010 where Aussie Nathan Hauritz humiliated us and eliminated Yousuf with his caught-and-bowled effort. Neither could we hold our fort during the West Indies Test series of May 2011 in Guyana when Devendra Bishoo sent us running home after a loss of 40 runs. Amit Mishra was too hot for us to handle during the recent T20 World Cup and Monty Panesar created mayhem during the 2012 Test match held in UAE. So, do we still deserve to call our batsmen better players of spin than AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis and Michael Clarke? I think the answer to that is pretty evident. What our players need to understand is that there is no point in improving your technique if you are always going to be terrorised by the thought of losing a wicket or are too afraid to play a shot; this being one of the reasons I abhor how Azhar Ali plays. We need players who are willing to take risks and understand that you lose some and you win some but at least you gave it your all and went in with confidence beaming. It is because of this very frame of mind that one gets bored when watching our team playing Test matches. This mind-set also needs to be followed by cricket fans who are ready to bash and criticise our team every time we lose but cannot stop boasting when we win. Our team needs our support regardless of the result of the match – that is when they can be confident on the pitch and not be afraid to take risks.

Two decades ago, when Pakistan was playing Australia in the deserts of Sharjah, the young spin wizard, Saqlain Mushtaq, broke the traditions and started spinning the ball the other way from the conventional off-spin to deceive the batsmen. The wicket-keeper, Moin Khan, would often shout from behind the stumps,

“Saqi Bhai, doosra abhi karna hai.” (Bowl the other one now, Saqi Bhai)

On September 16, 2014, the stars once again aligned themselves for 34-year-old Shahid Afridi who was appointed as Pakistan’s T20 captain. It is believed that he will retain this position until the T20 World Cup in 2016. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), in true Pakistani fashion, has decided to adopt the ‘live for the moment’ mentality with absolutely no regard for the future of T20 cricket in the nation. What is the point of employing the same individuals in the same positions time and again and expecting different results? Was it a lack of better options that forced the board to make this decision and will it back-fire for the men in green? Shahid Afridi has not led a side since 2011. Moreover, in the 19 T20 Internationals in which he captained the side, Pakistan won 8 and lost 11. Over the last year, Afridi has taken 10 wickets in 11 T20 internationals, and scored 173 runs. His form as a bowler has dipped considerably and unfortunately he will never attain any realm of maturity with the bat. He self implodes nine out of 10 occasions and gets going about once every other series and yet has the most loyal fan base a cricketer could hope for. There is no doubting his energy on the field or his commitment to the nation but every cricketer has their moment and Afridi’s time has passed. When Mohammad Hafeez quit from his post as captain after the 2014 T20 world cup loss, it was like watching a tape on rewind. Every time the cricket team fails at a major world event, we do not look to groom and solidify a team for the future, we believe in putting bandages over bullet wounds to stop the bleeding. Hafeez, in my opinion, was better suited for the job. One man was not to blame for the performances of 11 other players. Pakistan never looked to rectify their mistakes and build for 2016, but to make radical changes because somehow that would fix the problem. It wasn’t the first time we had seen this and it definitely won’t be the last. Shahid Afridi has been appointed T20 captain because, as it stands, he looks to be Pakistan’s best option but the problem with this is that it leaves no place for grooming a future leader. Many looked to Ahmed Shahzad as a potential captaincy option, believing that his religious preaching antics cost him the post. In hindsight, Afridi has said and done several questionable things in his cricketing career, biting balls just being the tip of the iceberg. 2016 is two years away – that is two years the management could have used to build a team and groom a young captain. Are we simply afraid to let someone inexperienced take the reins? T20 is the shortest and most aggressive of all formats; is it really that detrimental to have a young, upcoming star attempt to take control? If not now, then when? Pakistanis love going head to head with Indians in cricket. Here’s a thought, if the almighty MS Dhoni can attempt to groom Virat Kohli, why couldn’t the Pakistani board see potential in his twin (Ahmed Shahzad)? There is no doubt that he must learn professional etiquettes, that it will take time for him to grow but what is going to happen if we keep reverting back to the old? Once Hafeez, Afridi and Misbah all retire, in a span of a few years, Pakistani cricket will be leaderless and in shambles. As it stands, the PCB has made its decision and one must accept that the glorified cheerleader is going to lead this nation in the shortest format of the game. With Waqar Younis back on the management side and their past history, one hopes that with time both have moved on. Only the 2016 World Cup will determine if the PCB’s decision has left the cricket team more sorry than safe.

Pakistan has announced its squad for the ODI and T20 series against Australia and it has disappointed a lot of cricket fans. Though there are many questionable selections, the most surprising one is Younus Khan being dropped from the ODI team. While announcing the decision, chief selector Moin Khan said,

“Our experiment with Younus in the ODI series in Sri Lanka backfired. Now all have unanimously decided to look ahead to our future with youngsters. His services for Pakistan are commendable but now we have to take a step forward and he is also out of contention for the 2015 World Cup.”

“Meri batting nahin ayi, is liye mein fielding bhi nahin karun ga”  (Since I didn't get my batting, I won't field either)

Cricket is a love story, a baffling relationship, one that tugs at your heart, crushes and then serenades you all over again. The love you try relentlessly to give up on, the one you know you’re always going to run back to. Pakistan cricket has shattered us and then put us back together more times than I can remember. Misbahul Haq is our messiah, a patient captain, a world class player who took over the team when our hearts were irreparably broken from the spot fixing scandal and nurtured us back to health. And every few months, he finds himself reeling all over again, and leads Pakistan to yet another comeback. On the November 13, 2014, Pakistan beat New Zealand in a Test match and Misbah officially became the most successful Test captain Pakistan has ever fleshed. He has the third highest win/loss ratio of any captain since 2010. He doesn’t hold the adulation of Mahender Singh Dhoni, he hasn’t garnered the obsession of Imran Khan and yet, his statistics surpass both. It is hard to imagine what it must be to captain a side that is overwrought with politics. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Younus Khan and Misbahul Haq walk off after the victory, Pakistan v New Zealand, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi, 5th day, November 13, 2014. Photo: AFP[/caption] To have entered UAE, the home of Saeed Ajmal domination without the man himself and shoulder the responsibility of throwing debutants in the deep end. In the last month, we have seen the mother of all turn around as the Pakistan cricket team went from losing from two runs in the last over in an ODI against Australia to decimating them on the very same pitches in the Test series that followed. Pakistan, then, in typical fashion went on to break a 20-year streak, finally beating Australia with their highest ever win margin, because all things cricket must be done dramatically and Pakistanis in particular love a good soap opera. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Misbah-ul Haq throws the ball during the first Test match between Pakistan and New Zealand at the Zayed International Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Photo: AFP[/caption] In perhaps what is thought to be irony at its best, the Pakistan skipper went on to score the fastest 50 in the history of Test cricket and equalled the record for the fastest century. Memories of his 2007 scoop have slowly dissipated the haunting of 2011, perhaps even less hallowed. Conspiracies of World Cup captaincy, brutal losses and brilliant comebacks, nothing seems to faze the forever stoic Misbah, if anything, his entire career and captaincy has been a series of comebacks. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x295ifn_misbahul-haq-breaks-records-of-fastest-50-fastest-100-in-abu-dhabi_news#from=embediframe[/embed] In 2007, during the ICC T20 World Cup, many only remember Misbah as the man who made us lose against India in the final with that heart-breaking shot, but only a few will remember that it was his four sixes that even gave us that fighting chance. He was dropped after the 2010 ICC T20 World Cup and brought back as a captain to stabilise a team fighting to stay relevant after the chaos. During his four years as captain, Pakistan have won series against the top four Test playing nations, India, South Africa, Australia and England. In 2012, Pakistan whitewashed England, then the number one Test team in the world. Misbah led his side to victory in the 2012 Asia Cup, being the second captain to have done so after Moin Khan. In 2012/2013, Pakistan beat world champions India in an ODI series. Misbah was also one of the highest run scorers in 2013. It was under his captaincy that in November 2013, Pakistan won its first ever bilateral ODI series against South Africa and became the only Asian team to have done so in South Africa. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] A delighted Misbahul Haq after guiding Pakistan to victory, Pakistan v Sri Lanka, T20, Abu Dhabi, November 25, 2011. Photo: AFP[/caption] What a seemingly ordinary player, what extraordinary achievements. Between his personal records and that of the collective team, this 40-year-old defensive leader of a homeless team has spoken volumes with his bat, little to the media and simply goes about adding feathers to his cap. For now, fans can revel in glory, records can be shattered and cricket celebrated; for now, the love story continues.

The morning of November 22, 1999 was nippy and blustery, typical Karachi winter weather. I woke up early with an air of expectation. Christmas was coming early this year and Eid was going to follow. Pakistan was finally going to beat Australia in a Test match on their home turf and I was ready for school early to savour as much of the moment as possible. The Test series was following after Pakistan had been blanked by Australia in the World Cup final earlier in the year and was billed as the ‘badla’ tour by the press. Wasim Akram, the Pakistan team captain, had said in an interview that the contest was between the two best sides in the world and the winner could lay claim of being the undisputed number one. It was akin to the West Indies-Australia series of 1979 and Clive Lloyd had echoed similar sentiments. West Indies had won that handily and gone on to dominate cricket for the next decade and a half. The same was expected from this series too, and with a strong batting and arguably the best bowling attack in the world, this was Pakistan’s best chance to finally win a Test series in Australia. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xlkkci_pakistan-vs-australia-1999-world-cup-leeds_sport[/embed] Pakistan lost the first Test at Brisbane by a humiliating 10 wickets, a second innings century by Saeed Anwar, the saving grace. And yet, this was no dampener on the spirits; Australia has the habit of playing undercooked, visiting sides on bouncy tracks in Brisbane, or worse, Perth, and bagging the first Test. It was from the second Test that any Pakistan-in-Australia series started. The second Test was to be in Hobart, a friendlier track. Pakistan was playing Mohammad Waseem, the rookie opener and the rest of the batting side was Saeed, Ijaz Ahmad, Inzamamul Haq, Yousuf Youhana and Azhar Mahmood. The rookie scored 91 in the first inning, followed by a 118 by Inzi in the second and supporting 50s by Saeed and Ijaz. Now on the fifth day they could sense victory. Australia had been given a stiff target of 369 and were to start the day at 188 for five, still a long distance from saving the day. With a bowling attack of Wasim, Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq, Azhar and Shoaib Akhtar, the match was as good as done, only Justin Langer and Adam Gilchrist to be dispensed with. This was Pakistan’s moment; this is what the nation had aspired for long years, ever since Imran Khan developed a stress fracture going into the first five Test series to be played in Australia. This was the prize for which Pakistan had been preparing green tops at home for a decade (and no, Mr Ian Chappel, the green tops were not to blunt Shane Warne, but prepare Pakistan for Australia). For the last 10 years, wins against India were opium for the masses; the Pakistani connoisseur pined for a series win against Australia, in Australia. By the time I got to school, Pakistan were still going strong. Then came the decision to let off Langer from what seemed like a plumb leg before. Chance gone, Pakistan wilted, and Australia romped home; Gilchrist’s withering century battering Pakistani psyches. Seeing victory snatched away by the vagaries of the umpire, Pakistan got deflated and lost the third match inside three days by an innings and thus began the dominance of the Australians on Pakistan. Wasim’s words had been prophetic, only not in the way he must have meant. Historical epochs are often scripted on decisive moments and cricket is no exception. Harold Larwood’s first bouncer to Donald Bradman in ’32 Bodyline Ashes, Javed Miandad’s last ball six at Sharjah in ’86, Michael Holding’s crashing delivery against Brian Close in ’76, Misbahul Haq’s miscued punt in the 2007 T20 World Cup – all these were to herald a seismic change in the cricket world. It seemed Langer’s let off in Hobart was one of them. For the next decade and a half, Pakistan were the whipping boys for the Australians even as Pakistan won or drew Test series against the rest of the world. Australia, however, was the perennial bugbear. They destroyed Pakistan everywhere they played – Colombo, Sharjah, London and the Test venues of Australia bore witness to the all too familiar sight of Pakistan being steam rolled by the sight of Warne and company. In 2002, Pakistan were out for 59 and 53 on a flat Sharjah wicket, while in 2004, they lost by a mind boggling 451 runs at Perth. From 1999 to 2010, Pakistan lost 13 Tests against Australia and won just one. They were whitewashed in four consecutive series; a Mohammad Aamir inspired victory at Headingley, the sole sliver of joy. For a Pakistani cricket fan, it was soul searching stuff. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1yyehf_mohammad-amir-s-50-international-wickets-collection-www-cricserve-blogspot-com_sport[/embed] Pakistan team’s long suffering captains, Wasim, Waqar and Inzamam, all bore the brunt of the Aussie juggernaut and before the Dubai Test, it seemed the massacre would continue. And why wouldn’t it? The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had been in a state of turmoil for the past year and a half, and had recently installed another new chairman. The team was missing its talismanic bowler, one Saeed Ajmal, and Younus Khan, the senior most batsman of the side, had publicly stated his disgust against the management after being dropped from the limited overs side. Australia was coming off from an Ashes whitewash and a 2-1 series win in South Africa, and had swept Pakistan in the ODIs. Captain Misbah seemed beleaguered and had dropped himself for the third ODI, ostensibly for lack of form. Pakistan’s bowling attack had played a total of eight Tests and featured two debutants. It was to be Australia’s ‘veni, vedi, veci’ (I came, I saw, I conquered). At 7/2, on the first day’s morning, Pakistan were in depressingly familiar territory when something strange happened – the batsmen simply refused to roll over. From then on, Pakistan dominated, hour after hour, session after session and day after day. Misbah and his young charges counter attacked and the bowlers went on the hunt. The Australians were not to win a session until the fifth day’s morning in the second Test and the unthinkable, the unfathomable happened; Misbah and his band of merry young men kneaded, pummelled and flattened the Australians for a brown-wash. The 2-0 score line does not give the complete picture. Statistics only give a side of the tapestry that was Pakistan’s mastery of their opponents. However, there are few telling ones. Before this series, Pakistani batsmen had scored six centuries in the period of 1999 to 2010. In this one alone, they scored nine. Two batsmen scored a century in each innings of a Test match, Younus, in fact, getting three in a row. It featured the fastest century in Test cricket by captain Misbah, a freakish innings of rare power and brutality. Pakistan won the last match by 356 runs, which is their largest margin of victory against any opponent. The numbers go on and on, each articulating Pakistan’s dominance over their erstwhile tormentors. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x295ifn_misbahul-haq-breaks-records-of-fastest-50-fastest-100-in-abu-dhabi_news#from=embediframe[/embed] What is even more satisfying is that this was a most un-Pakistan-like victory. Pakistan’s cricket success is largely wrought by its bowlers and often stems from a magical moment produced almost at will by the mercurial geniuses the country keeps producing. From Oval ‘56 when Fazal Mahmood mesmerised the English to Imran’s 12 wicket whirlwind in Sydney in ‘77 to Dubai  2012 when Ajmal and Rehman spun a web around the hapless English, Test victories have been produced largely due to sparks of brilliance rather than sustained team efforts. The last series was different, no last day miracle, no madcap victory from jaws of defeat. Australia were not hamstrung by a scintillating bowling spell or a flashing batting performance but rather strangulated under the weight of runs and sustained pressure. When the scoreboard shows mammoth scores by opposition, it saps your energy. Long periods of chasing leather and fresh legs become heavy, nimble feet became leaden and clear minds become cloudy. Ever put salt on a slug under the hot sun? After Misbah’s 56 ball hundred that is how the Aussies looked, a quivering jelly-like puddle ready to be buried under the desert sands. Watching Pakistan land body blow after another, I was reminded of the Muhammad Ali-Ernie Terrell ’67 fight. Terrell had made the mistake of taunting Ali by calling him by his old name and as punishment was hammered for 15 rounds in a lopsided match. As Ali landed jabs and hooks, he kept asking Terrell “What’s my name?” http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqbm0i_muhammad-ali-vs-ernie-terrell-1967-02-06_sport If Pakistan had asked Michael Clarke the same question, he could have been forgiven for being a little confused because Pakistan’s method of grinding opponents down was positively Australian and had been perfected by Clarke’s predecessor Steve Waugh. Waugh didn’t use to enforce the follow-on and wanted to garrotte opponents by running them ragged and then unleashing his menacing bowlers, inflicting not just abysmal defeat but deep mental scars. That is what Misbah did and the series can rank with Tiger Woods’s US Open 2000 campaign or Pete Sampras’s defeat of Cedric Pioline in Wimbledon Final 1997 in its one-sidedness, a blowout in sporting jargon. After all, the shameful capitulations and agonising defeats, after watching Warne’s serpentine deliveries bamboozle and befuddle, after witnessing Matthew Hayden and Gilchrist happily chew up our bowlers, after viewing Glenn McGrath run through the batsmen, after seeing Mark Taylor, Waugh and Ricky Ponting slicing up Pakistan, we have gotten a bit of our own back. I can now be philosophical about the years of waiting and disappointment, the gnashed teeth at submissive tactics, at the wasted mornings and afternoons, wasted talent, wasted opportunities, and more defeats. A wait of 20 years comes to an end. It isn’t often we do an Ali. It isn’t often we flay the opposition. This is sweet satisfaction. This is for Hobart.

And so the ICC’s purge against off-spinners continues, with Mohammad Hafeez being the latest victim. It has come as no surprise given the recent suspensions of off-spinners globally and the warning Hafeez himself received when he was reported during the Champions League T20 in September with Hafeez due to be tested at Loughborough on November 24, 2014. In fact, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) itself has been pro-active in this matter, forming a five-member committee which included ICC Elite Panel Umpire Aleem Dar and Pakistan’s spin bowling coach, Mushtaq Ahmad, to weed out suspect actions before they reach the international stage. However, the news of Hafeez being reported comes as a huge blow to Pakistan, especially in the wake of Saeed Ajmal’s suspension and the bleak outlook on his return to the team. Our bowling attack over the last five years has been based on our spinners, and Hafeez and Ajmal formed two thirds of the triumvirate (third being Shahid Afridi) largely responsible for winning games for us that the batting side seemed intent on losing. However, with the World Cup 2015 fast approaching, we are left in a perilous position where only one of the three is available. Yet Hafeez’s position may not be as desperate as that of Ajmal’s. While Ajmal had 30-35 deliveries reported and results eventually showed his average elbow extension to be twice the limit, Hafeez only had a mere four deliveries reported during the first Test versus New Zealand. And while Ajmal is an unorthodox spinner, Hafeez is a relatively straight-forward off-spinner. On the flip side, other orthodox spinners such as Kane Williamson have also been suspended from bowling and Hafeez’s argument of “nothing is different from what I have been bowling in the last 11 years” will not stick since this is an unprecedented clampdown on bowling actions; after all, even Ajmal was cleared back in 2009. Moreover, since Hafeez possesses no variations, it is his regular off-spin that has been called into question. So unlike Marlon Samuels, who only had his quicker delivery banned, if Hafeez is found to exceed the limit then he will be banned from bowling altogether. There were some in the cricketing circle, such as Wasim Akram, who suggested after Hafeez’s action was reported during the Champions League that we should preserve him for the World Cup due to his worth as an all-rounder in the ODI team. However, just as he denied there was anything wrong with his technique after being badly exposed by Dale Steyn, Hafeez dismissed suspicions about his action maintaining it had remained the same throughout his career and participated in the recent Test series against Australia and New Zealand. Perhaps it would have been more prudent for Pakistan to take a leaf out of West Indies’s books, when they withdrew Sunil Narine from their tour of India to work on his action after he had also been reported during the Champions League. Such valuable time could have been used to work on Hafeez’s action and ensure his participation in the World Cup as an all-rounder. It seems it was a risk that was clearly not worth taking if it results in his suspension. If anything, it was a surprise he wasn’t reported during the Australia series and that’s a statement not on Hafeez’s action but on the movement to eradicate off-spin from the game. Despite his brilliant performance in the first Test against New Zealand, there will always be those who question Hafeez’s place in the Test team – a format where specialists are more in demand – but it is a fool’s errand to question his place in the ODI and T20 teams. Hafeez is second in the ICC rankings for ODI all-rounders, and first in T20s. All-rounders like Hafeez are a priceless commodity in ODI cricket – they can bat at the top of the order and bowl their full quota of 10 overs if required and they also allow the captain to play an extra batsman if needed. Simply speaking, Hafeez is a captain’s dream in ODI cricket and should he be banned from bowling, it will completely disrupt the balance of our ODI team heading into the World Cup. While Ajmal could be replaced by another spinner (albeit not by one as good), Pakistan simply does not have any other all-rounders to provide the balance Hafeez does in ODI cricket. In his interview before departing for his tests in Loughborough, Hafeez told reporters how he considered himself a batsman, not an off-spinner, and never rated his own bowling. Although this maybe a defence mechanism in the event he is only able to participate as a batsman, it seems a bit strange that Hafeez does not rate his own bowling when he is seventh in the ICC Bowlers Rankings in ODIs. In fact, were it not for his bowling, Hafeez may not have thrived or even lasted these last four years in international cricket. For long stretches, when his batting has let him down, it has been his bowling that has ensured his place in the team. Should the unthinkable happen and he gets suspended from bowling, serious questions will need to be asked about Hafeez’s place in the team for the World Cup. Plenty of decent techniques have been exposed in Australia before and Hafeez’s is suspect to say the least. His inclusion as a specialist batsman would mean Pakistan would be devoid of a sixth bowler and/or a batsman light. Barely a year on from surrendering the T20 captaincy, Hafeez could lose his place in the World Cup team and Pakistan’s World Cup hopes will be scuppered before they even begin. The importance of November, 24 cannot be overstated.

Fawad Alam has been left out from the ODI squad, again. And right before the World Cup, again. The last time when he was dropped, in November 2010, his batting average was just below 40; currently his career average is more than 45 runs per inning with a decent strike run rate of 75.04 – despite batting under immense pressure most of the time. Leaving him out of the national team is something I just can’t understand. Not only has he performed above average, he has also given Pakistan some much needed wins over the past year. He is the second highest ODI run-getter for Pakistan, with an impressive average of 69.00 and smart strike rate of 77.35. And let’s not forget that most of his innings take place at a time when the team needs substantial runs. Opener Ahmed Shahzad is the only man ahead of Alam – and that too with an average of 39.45 and strike rate of 74.82 in 11 innings. But while Shahzad has been selected for both 50 and 20 over formats, Alam has been benched for no apparent reason. Alam is the same man who scored a magnificent century against Sri Lanka this year in the Asia Cup final and gave the other side a respectable total to defend. The batting performance of the top order was tragic in that match and Alam was the one who rescued the game. Earlier, he contributed key 74 runs against Bangladesh in the same tournament, despite the fact that it was his first ODI after almost four years. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Pakistan's Fawad Alam (L) is run out by Bangladesh's Al-Amin Hossain during their one-day international (ODI) cricket match in Asia Cup 2014 in Dhaka. Photo: Reuters[/caption] His bat continued to score in the three-match away series against Sri Lanka, August this year. Pakistan won the first game after a 147-run partnership between Alam and Sohaib Maqsood. Alam departed at 62 runs after putting Pakistan on a commanding position. He scored 30 runs in the second match and, in the final ODI, he topped the score card by scoring 38 runs not out. Pakistan could only set the target of 103 runs for the hosts in that match, so his contribution was much needed, to say the least. After scoring 188 runs in only two innings of 2014 Asia Cup, Alam became the top scorer for Pakistan in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka with 130 runs. Chairperson PCB, Shaharyar Khan, called him a real fighter and urged other players to follow his example. During the time period, he also emerged as a leading candidate for T20 captaincy. Osman Samiuddin, former editor of Cricinfo Pakistan, also highlighted Alam’s strength and abilities in one of his articles. But all of a sudden, with no clear reason, he has been dropped from the ODI squad. Yes, he was somewhat unsuccessful against Australia during the ODI series but it was only the first match where he didn’t perform well and left the wickets with just seven runs. In the second match, he scored 20 runs (not out) and in the last ODI, he was controversially given an out when Steven Smith changed his position to take the catch. ICC had to issue a statement on the situation. But in spite of his less impressive performance, he scored more runs in the series than Misbahul Haq and Shahid Afridi, while Umar Akmal managed to score only 55 runs in two matches of the same series. Prior to this, Akmal scored only 23 runs in three innings against Sri Lanka, with the worst average of 7.66 runs. While Akmal did play an inning of 102 runs (not out) against Afghanistan, his performance hasn’t been impressive against other teams. In his last eight innings, he could score only a total sum of 151 runs against teams like India, Sri Lanka and Australia, with a poor average of 21.57. Yet, we see his name on the squad for both formats, despite his continuous failures – thanks to the selection committee. The chart below displays Pakistan’s batting line performance in 2014. Alam tops the score card with the best average and smart strike rate. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="577"] Runs by Pakistani batsmen in ODIs 2014.[/caption] Many criticise that Fawad often plays at a relatively slow pace; they ignore the fact that he plans his innings according to the situation. But even if we keep that critique in mind, we can see that Alam has still proved his worth. Comparing his record with Mohammad Hafeez, Younus Khan and Misbah, we can see Alam’s match winning abilities quite clearly. The following chart reiterates this. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="587"] Averages and strike rates of some Pakistani batsmen.[/caption] In the new squad, Nasir Jamshed has replaced Alam in ODIs. But on what grounds? Just review the on-going Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Gold League. Alam, representing NBP, has scored 521 runs in eight innings, including a double century with the average of 74.42. On the other hand, Jamshed, also playing for NBP, could only score 124 runs in seven innings with a poor average of 17.71. Yet, Jamshed is selected and Alam is dropped – doesn’t that show the unfair treatment Alam is subjected to by the PCB? The ODI series against New Zealand is important, as the World Cup is not too far. The mega event is being held in Australia and these matches are a practise for Pakistani players, to become acquainted with the pitches. Now, just compare the performance of Alam with the rest on the bouncy Australian pitches. Misbah’s Test inning record is presented below – as he has never played ODIs in Australia. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="576"] Innings played in Australia.[/caption] This clearly indicates that Alam’s batting average is better than Misbah, Younus, Hafeez and Jamshed. Even Alam’s strike rate is better than Misbah and Hafeez, is equal to Younus and is fractionally lower than Jamshed’s. It may also be mentioned that Alam is the only batsman in Pakistan’s domestic-cricket history, who has scored more than 8000 runs with an average of 56.73. Even greats like Javed Miandad, Hanif Mohammad, Zaheer Abbas and Inzamamul Haq couldn’t achieve this milestone. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="563"] First class averages of different players.[/caption] Statistics show that even Alam’s first class batting average is better than most of the greats. He has proved his credentials internationally as well. Having 40 plus average in both Tests and ODIs is not an easy task. Alam is the second highest run-getter for Pakistan in 2014 despite playing fewer matches than others, his average and strike rate is still better than many included in the side, chairperson PCB called him a fighter, he performed equally well in first class cricket... but he is still not on the squad. Amazing! Many argue that he is a better option for Tests. If this is the case, then why have the selectors ignored him for Test format over the past so many years? Despite Fawad’s consistent run scoring ability, selectors deliberately left him out from the Test series against Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand – without any reason. The man who scored 168 runs on his debut has only played three tests so far! Why he couldn’t play a single test after November, 2009, despite having a healthy average of around 42 runs per inning in tests, is something our selectors need to answer. Why, and on what grounds, have our selectors wasted five precious years of such a talented player, who has shown his merit in all formats? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="339"] Fawad Alam raises his bat after reaching 150 in a Test match against Sri Lanka, July 2009. Photo: AFP[/caption] I would also like to quote the comments of a Sri Lankan and a New Zealand cricketing fan. They commented on Cricinfo.com after reading the news of Fawad’s exclusion.

“I am a Sri Lankan. Sorry for Fawad Alam. If he doesn’t deserve a place in top six, then no one else deserves a place. He was the anchor. He starts slowly, but can accelerate later. A very good batsman. I think Pakistani selectors are out of (their) mind. Only around 90 days left for the World Cup. And they are messing with players.” “As a New Zealand fan, I was looking forward to watching Fawad Alam bat against us. Very disappointed he has been left out. There must be something else to it. If you just straight up look at his stats, asides from the top international players, there is almost nobody in the world who has comparable averages. (sic) Just can’t understand the sense in such a player being left out, especially when he has performed when given his opportunity. Gosh!”

The past week has been a sad one for the cricketing community with the untimely demise of a young Phillip Hughes, falling during a first-class match in Australia. If anything, this incident reminds us that life is short and very unpredictable, and should be celebrated for every moment of joy that it may bring. While we mourn Hughes’s death, I would like to focus on another young cricketer who brings joy to millions who follow him. Virat Kohli has been one of the best ODI batsmen of the last few years. Statistics may not always do justice to a person as is an oft repeated phrase but in his case, mere statistics are enough to blow you away. At the age of 26, he has already scored 21 ODI hundreds at an average of over 52 in 149 matches. He recently became the fastest player to 6,000 ODI runs and has led India to victory in countless matches in many different situations. His Test credentials may not be exceptional, but are decent with 6 hundreds to his name already. He has time on his side, though, to improve them and be known as one of the best batsmen of his era. Many have already started asking if he will be better than Sachin Tendulkar or not? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] Virat Kohli was a relieved man after his 21st century, India v West Indies, 4th ODI, Dharamsala, October 17, 2014. Photo: BCCI[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] Virat Kohli blows a kiss to the crowd after crossing 6000 ODI runs, India v Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI, Hyderabad, November 9, 2014. Photo: BCCI[/caption] A phenomenal stroke-maker all around the wicket, Kohli is also a nightmare for any bowler once in flow. He is capable of decimating the best attacks in the world on any given day and is not just a flat track bully as his performances outside the subcontinent have shown. He often comes across as a brash individual and rubs people up the wrong way with his attitude but he has been maturing with time. He still wears his heart on his sleeve whenever he plays for India, and that aspect might have to change a little if he has ambitions to be an Indian captain in the long run – a likely successor to MS Dhoni. He has been earmarked for captaincy from a very young age; he showed his potential to lead when he became the second Indian captain to win the U-19 World Cup, leading from the front with the bat and returning with victories in the ODIs. Some of his teammates find him friendlier than Dhoni given that he is of the same age-group as many of them. He is soon to debut as a Test captain in Australia, and only time will tell whether the same aggressive style of captaincy that he has displayed in the past during the ODIs will work. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] A few heated words were exchanged as Virat Kohli left the field, England v India, 3rd ODI, Trent Bridge, August 30, 2014. Photo: AFP[/caption] During their last visit to Australia, India went down in a 4-0 Test series whitewash, but the only bright aspect of that tour was Kholi’s performance. He scored a Test hundred, the only century by an Indian, and seemed more than capable of handling the pressure. Fans wonder if he will be able to bat as freely as he likes to with the captaincy burden on his shoulders. But let there be no doubt that in Dhoni’s absence in the current squad, there is no one more capable or deserving to be an Indian captain than the talented batsman. Any team in the world would readily give an arm and a leg to have someone like him in their folds. Let’s see if he can lead his side to victory in the Adelaide Test match starting December 9, 2014, while giving his expected performance. [poll id="366"]